U-Haul Migration Trends: Philadelphia Ranks as No. 8 U.S. Destination

Destination Cities are ranked by the number of arriving one-way U-Haul trucks in the past calendar year
(May 16, 2018)

PHOENIX and PHILADELPHIA, May 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Brotherly Love is the No. 8 U.S. Destination City according to the latest U-Haul® migration trends report, holding steady from its previous ranking.

Philadelphia saw a 5 percent year-over-year increase in one-way U-Haul truck arrivals in 2017 to remain one of the top 10 busiest cities for incoming traffic among do-it-yourself movers.

"Philly has been on the verge of a turnaround for years and we are finally seeing business and people moving back into the city," stated Gerald Solarski, U-Haul Company of North Philadelphia president. "There is a vibrancy here that was vacant for more than a decade. There is a new energy in Philly and people are excited about our city again.

"This is also an affordable East Coast metropolitan area. Residents are a quick train ride from Boston and New York City. The Center City District has expanded into a modern-day urban core with skyscrapers, entertainment districts and high-rise apartments. There are also strong neighborhoods with accessible green spaces right outside Center City."

U-Haul has 14 Company-owned stores and 38 independent neighborhood dealers currently operating in the Philadelphia city limits. Find U-Haul truck and trailer sharing locations in Philadelphia at uhaul.com/locations.

U-Haul International, headquartered in Phoenix, is counting down its top 10 U.S. Destination Cities as a prelude to Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial beginning of the summer moving season. About 45 percent of all moves each year occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. The No. 1 Destination City will be announced on May 25 via Twitter @uhaul and on myuhaulstory.com.

Columbus, Ohio, was named the No. 10 Destination City, and Charlotte, N.C., received No. 9 honors earlier this week.

Go to myuhaulstory.com now to view Destination Cities 11-50. Pittsburgh, which did not make the top 50 last year, gives Pennsylvania a second destination in the rankings. It catapulted to the No. 37 spot based on a spike in arriving U-Haul trucks in 2017.

Rankings are based on the total number of arriving one-way U-Haul trucks into a city in the past calendar year. Destination Cities reflect the volume and regularity of do-it-yourself movers coming into a community. They do not account for departing one-way U-Haul trucks, and thus do not necessarily signify growth like U-Haul Growth Cities and Growth States rankings.

U-Haul is the authority on migration trends thanks to its expansive network that blankets all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The geographical coverage from more than 21,000 U-Haul locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.

The arrival of U-Haul Truck Share 24/7® is revolutionizing the moving industry through its more convenient, more secure way to pick up and return a truck. U-Haul live verification technology allows transactions to be carried out entirely on a smartphone at any hour – day or night. There are no membership fees. Download the U-Haul app or go to uhaul.com to create an account.

For self-movers who aim to keep their costs low but need extra hands to help with their move, MovingHelp.com has been successfully pairing customers with reliable Moving Help® Service Providers for more than a decade. The online marketplace lets customers shop and compare local moving companies that provide labor services including: loading and unloading, packing and unpacking, cleaning, and U-Box pick up/delivery. Unedited customer reviews, transparent pricing and payment release subject to customer approval have led to 93 percent of Moving Help users rating their experience four stars or higher.

About U-Haul

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 21,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 now offers customers access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the self-service options on their internet-connected mobile devices. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to more than 150,000 trucks, 112,000 trailers and 40,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 581,000 rooms and more than 51 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S.